A game that began slowly and ended with a flourish was one that the New Orleans Saints never firmly grasped Sunday in the Caesars Superdome.
New Orleans is 5-9 after a 20-19 loss to Washington that literally went down to the wire: The Saints unsuccessfully attempted a two-point conversion with no time left on the clock in regulation. That kind of bravado permeated for the Saints, who rallied from a 17-0 hole in the third quarter to come within a whisper of completing the comeback.
OFFENSE: Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler was pretty spectacular after relieving Jake Haener at halftime and completing 10 of 21 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions. But receiver Cedric Wilson Jr. stands out simply because of the degree of difficulty. Wilson entered the game having thrown five passes in his six seasons and none since Jan. 2, 2022. But with 5:53 left in the third quarter Sunday and the Saints trailing 17-0 facing first-and-10 at the Washington 21-yard line, Wilson received a lateral from Rattler near the left sideline and threw back across the field for running back Alvin Kamara – who circled out of the backfield on a wheel route – and hit Kamara in stride inside the right front pylon. Kamara made a one-handed grab to complete the play, but Wilson's throw was as impressive as you'll find from a guy who doesn't throw in games regularly.
DEFENSE: Linebacker Demario Davis , a defensive captain, seems to be as productive now as he ever has been. He finished with 14 tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss and led a Saints defense that was on the field for 74 plays and 10 seconds short of 41 minutes. The Saints totaled eight sacks, a season high. Few players have that kind of stamina and effectiveness, fewer still are 35 years old and in their 13th NFL season.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Nice bounce-back game for kicker Blake Grupe . He missed two long field goal attempts against the Giants last Sunday, but came back and made 41- and 51-yarders to help the comeback effort. He's 22 of 26 this season (85 percent).
